The Fire Nation Princess
by Eruwaedhier Telemnar
Summary: Different characters reflect on how they view Azula, slight shipping probably Kataang Maiko and George hints... man I suck at writing reviews.
1. Ozai

Deep lines appeared on his face as he furrowed his brows.

His daughter kneeled before him, eyes on the floor. She was obviously trying hard not to show any of the emotions she must be feeling.

Wordlessly he waved his hand, signaling that she could stand. Just as silently she complied. The Fire Lord had heard what had happened at the Boiling Rock. To say that he was disappointed was an understatement.

_His _daughter, the _perfect _one had failed him in ways that he had never imagined. She had proven himself to be weaker than he ever expected. She had lied to him, and those lies had helped push his other child away from him, away from his people. Now all of their carefully laid plans would be laid bare to the enemy because of her failure.

She had misjudged her friends, and because of that she was weak emotionally. He had raised her to have no friends, to simply rely on people because of necessity. She had ignored his words. She had proven that she did not listen.

She had failed to capture her brother and the Water Tribe peasant. She was supposed to be a Firebending prodigy, how could she be beaten by someone who was not supposed to be half as powerful and someone who couldn't bend at all?

Where had he gone wrong? He had raised her to be the image of himself in act and deed, so she should be just as successful as he. But, lately she had not seemed to be herself. How could this be happening? The Fire Lord didn't wish to admit it, however plain facts were staring him in the face.

His daughter was cracking under the pressure.

He hated to admit this. He hated to acknowledge that his own flesh and blood, the being that represented all that was best in him could be this vulnerable. Yet there the truth was, laid out in front of him on a platter. Her eyes were angry, brimming with unshed tears. Her body was sluggish, still not completely recovered from having her pressure point targeted by her acrobat friend who always wore pink.

As he looked into her eyes, for the first time in many years he felt as if he could see what she was really feeling. At first he saw a great hurt, a feeling of betrayal laced with loneliness. But, underneath all of that he saw hunger. Hunger for power, hunger for the throne he was currently sitting on. Ozai had always known that she wanted the throne, but the look in his daughters eyes also conveyed urgency. She just didn't want the throne, she wanted the throne _**now**_.

The Fire Lord couldn't help but feel revolted by what he saw. His daughter was a spineless coward! If she wanted the throne so badly, she should be making political maneuvers, or at least doing something to assert her position. Yet she did nothing, she stood by waiting to seize what was hers when he finally died.

Fed up with her, he waved his hand, motioning for her to leave. Heavily she bowed again and slowly walked to the door, pushing back the curtain and leaving the throne room. Ozai felt cold fury boil in his veins. He had coddled his daughter too much, he decided. Perhaps that was why his son, Zuko, was so self reliant and outspoken. Although the boy could occasionally be annoying with his different ideals, however he silently respected the young man for his bravery. At least he said what he meant. Not like his daughter.

Yes, he would have to harden her somehow. However, she was still an essential part of the invasion plan during the time when Sozin's Comet arrived, so he would simply have to continue her education after the war was won.


	2. Mai

Shuffling along, the rat had no idea of the eminent danger it was in. The rodent remained oblivious until it heard the whistling of a projectile being hurled at it at top speed. With a small thonk! that resonated throughout the small cell, the projectile slammed into the rat's head, killing it instantly. A spoon clattered to the floor and landed beside the dead animal.

Mai peered through the darkness. She was used to the gloom of her jail cell (How long had she been there, a month, a week, or a day?) but she was worried that she might not recover her spoon. When the guards came to take away her eaten food, they made sure to account for every single thing they had given Mai to help her eat. Bowls, plates, utensils, everything. (Princess Azula had been so kind as to inform the guards that Mai might use any item as a weapon.) And, surely there would be some kind of search or punishment for losing the spoon.

Disgusted, Mai shook her head, as if it would ward away the thoughts of mice and spoons She was the daughter of an aristocrat, she should not be worrying about such trivial things. The rat that she had just killed, the spoon that she couldn't see meant nothing compared to the fact that she was wasting away her life in some prison. Biting her lip nervously, Mai began to regret that she had killed the rodent. True, they were dirty creatures in general who survived by leeching off of others, but perhaps she could have caught it and made a pet of it… anything would be preferable to this sense of loneliness. Ty Lee had been moved to a different part of the prison, and she never actually saw the guards, they gave her everything through a small window in the door that could be opened and closed at her captors will.

Sighing, Mai took to doing the only thing she could- thinking. Her memories were her best companions now, and she would often spend hours thinking about her life, thinking about how fate had led her here. She didn't believe in fate before she came to prison, in fact she didn't believe in much before she came to prison. But, now that she had time to think on it, she couldn't help but notice that the universe had an odd way of working things out. The many twists and turns of her life amazed her, and she couldn't help but ponder where she might have ended up if she had never met Azula…

Azula. The word brought mixed feelings for Mai. Her friend whom she had known since childhood, the one who imprisoned her here. Her friend who had introduced her to the people she loved, her friend who had given her unimaginable freedom. Despite everything that she had been subjected to, Mai had to admit that the one thing she didn't hate Azula for was setting her free. She had been provided an environment where she could be herself (mostly), not confined by Fire Nation law or protocol. But, the question had to be asked. Was freedom from law worth essentially selling your soul?

Not that any of that mattered now. No matter what her musings, Mai was stuck with reality. She was in prison. She was a traitor. Not even her powerful father could protect her.

And, most definitely, Azula was no longer her friend.

**So, yeah. I hope that this isn't too OOC for Mai. We don't get to see into her head that often, so I will admit that I took a few liberties with her POV. Hope that you enjoy! **


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